Life’s expensive — treat yourself to an income boost Aetna Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) are a tax-free way to pay for certain expenses so you have more money where it counts — in your paycheck! There are two types of Flexible Spending Accounts: Health Care FSA – for eligible out-of-pocket medical expenses Dependent Care FSA – for the costs of caring for your dependents so you can work You have to pay these expenses anyway. Why not use tax-free money to do so? How the account works Each year, you decide whether you want to participate in a health care FSA. If you do, estimate the amount of tax-eligible medical/dental expenses and dependent care expenses you are likely to have during the year, and decide how much of your salary you want to set aside to help pay for these expenses. The amount you elect will be automatically deducted from your paychecks throughout the year and credited to your FSA. As you incur eligible expenses during the year and pay for them out of your own pocket, you can reimburse yourself with tax-free money from your FSA. Using your Aetna FSA Debit Card If you enrolled in the Aetna FSA plan, you’ll get a Visa Debit Card. You can use this card to pay for any qualified medical expenses. The funds will be taken directly from your FSA. You may also choose to pay FSA expenses out of your own pocket and submit claim forms after the purchase. The choice is always yours! Please note that some FSA purchases may require further proof of FSA eligibility. If you make a purchase that requires this, Aetna will mail you an information request form to verify the purchase. Eligible Medical Expenses Use your Health Care FSA to pay for (per IRS guidelines): Deductibles, copays and coinsurance Eye care, such as eye exams, eyeglasses and contact lenses for vision correction, saline solution and LASIK surgery Hearing exams and hearing aids Doctors’ fees and routine physicals Laboratory fees Chiropractic treatment Dental work and orthodontia Drugs and medicines — both prescriptions and over-the-counter (OTC) Eligible Dependent-Care Expenses Money set aside in an FSA can be used to reimburse only those dependent-care expenses necessary because you (or if married, you and your spouse) work. Wages paid to a baby-sitter or a companion in or outside your home, as long as the person providing care is not someone you declare as a dependent, your under-age-19 child, your spouse or your Qualifying Person’s parent. Services of a day-care center and/or nursery school, if the center complies with all state and local laws. Cost for care at facilities away from home, such as family day care or adult day care centers, as long as your Qualifying Person usually spends at least 8 hours a day in your home. Wages paid to a housekeeper who provides care for your Qualifying Person. Services provided for both before- and after-school care (when listed separately); fees or tuition for kindergarten and higher education are not eligible.